The International Testing Agency (ITA) has signed an agreement with the Italian National Anti-Doping Organisation, NADO Italia, aimed at enhancing testing coordination and information-sharing, as well collaboration for clean sport education. This strategic partnership is particularly significant as the ITA is set to lead the anti-doping program for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

The ITA’s partnership with NADO Italia focuses on harmonising testing efforts to ensure an effective allocation of resources and intelligence-led programs at both national and international levels. The collaboration also supports the exchange of information between the ITA and NADO Italia to the benefit of potential investigations and intelligence-led doping controls in Italy and in regard to Italian athletes. Finally, the collaboration also extends to identifying mutual efficiencies and opportunities for capacity building in the area of anti-doping education.

Benjamin Cohen, Director General of the ITA, expressed his enthusiasm about this collaboration, stating, "The ITA is honored to partner with NADO Italia as we collectively work towards preserving the principles of clean sport. Italy is an important sporting nation and so I am very pleased that together we can strive for more enhanced clean sport efforts for Italian athletes and on the occasion of international sporting events in Italy. The Winter Olympic Games are less than 3 years away from now and so this partnership is all the more important in light of the important work ahead and the collective efforts needed to safeguard the integrity of the Games."

Alessia Di Gianfrancesco, Director General of NADO Italia, is on the same wavelength: “This agreement with ITA takes on considerable importance by strengthening a collaboration, now official, to guarantee a harmonized, coordinated and effective anti-doping system in support of clean athletes.”

The ITA has already established bilateral collaboration agreements with over 30 National and Regional Anti-Doping Organisations on all continents of the world. The ITA strongly believes that the anti-doping community is able to bring the support of athletes to the next level by working hand-in-hand with all other anti-doping organisations. Consequently, the ITA will continue to welcome to its network any National and Regional Anti-Doping Organisation that wishes to strengthen synergies between national and international level anti-doping programs.